ST. HELENA 257 



addition to vessels already mentioned, there were three other 

 condemned slave- vessels, names unknown. The loss of boats has 

 thrown many out of employment, and deprived them of their little 

 all and the means of supporting their families. Thus, after the 

 savings of many a hard day's toil, they are deprived of a living ; 

 but God's will be done ; and what has this day been experienced 

 only reminds us of our frail state, and how little we ought to think 

 of our earthly possessions. 



The wharf from lower steps to the glacis is almost destroyed 

 The Commissariat Coal Yard, which was erected at a great expense 

 in 1834, by General Dallas, the tanks for supplying water to ship- 

 ping, are totally wrecked. The fortifications at Lemon Valley 

 are much injured, and great damage is sustained at Rupert's, where 

 the liberated Africans are located. 



To attempt to give a correct idea of the violence of the rollers 

 is impossible, but as this humble description may meet the eye 

 of many who have spent happy hours on the Old Rock, and are 

 now in England and elsewhere, they will be able to judge of what 

 I am unable to describe, and I will simply close by stating that 

 the sea rolled as far as the officer's quarters at Rupert's, that a 

 24-pounder carronade was taken from its platform at Chubb's, 

 that a Battery was carried into the sea, as well as the parapet 

 on both sides being destroyed. The wind for many days previous 

 to the setting in of the rollers was from north and west, with close, 

 sultry weather. The property lost by individuals and the estimated 

 repair of wharf, coal-yard, etc., is upward of £20,000. 



That the bravery of Roach in saving the lives of those on board 

 the Descobrador was not allowed to pass unnoticed is shown in the 

 issue of the St. Helena Gazette for May 29, 1847, when at a meeting 

 held in the library, the Rev. Kempthorne having been voted 

 to the chair, addressed Roach as follows : — 



" Joseph Roach, seeing that I am deputed by the Committee 

 and other gentlemen present to perform this agreeable duty, I have 

 called for the minutes of the Benevolent Society to show you that 

 though it may seem late now to take this public notice of a cir- 

 cumstance which occurred in February of last year, yet but few 

 hours elapsed before this Society took into consideration the pro- 

 priety of awarding to you some testimonial which your heroic, 

 your noble conduct, richly deserved. I did not myself witness 

 the surf on the 17th ; it was from the scene on the Lines on the 

 following day, and from the clever pencillings of some gentlemen 

 of the island that I obtained some idea of the terrific circumstances, 

 Some idea was still further conveyed by another incident. On- 

 Monday I passed a house in the upper street, where a father sup- 

 ported a wife and several children by the labour of his hands. On 

 the Thursday I saw the widow and all those children in mourning, 

 though no funeral bell had tolled, no prayers been offered up, and no 

 grave had been opened save the great deep. 



" To your courage we owe it under Providence that another 

 family was not overtaken by a similar calamity. We cannot all 



R 



